


the universe in his mind and hands

by daydoodles



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, Gen, I don't know where I was going with this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 06:23:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6144419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daydoodles/pseuds/daydoodles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"[He] never looked nice. [He] looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; art was supposed to make you feel something." - Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor & Park</p>
            </blockquote>





	the universe in his mind and hands

**Author's Note:**

> Alright so this is basically just me rambling about how much I adore Iwa (using Oikawa as a proxy). It was inspired by [this](http://bottomasahi.tumblr.com/post/140262700085/also-a-lot-of-fic-talks-about-how-pretty-iwaizumi) and [this](http://tinyyhinata.tumblr.com/post/140300053665/oikawastop-we-all-kind-of-assume-that-since), though.
> 
> These two are really intriguing and complicated and I love their dynamic...Also this can be interpreted as platonic or romantic, it's pretty much up to you.
> 
> Oh yeah and the title is from a quote by Leonardo da Vinci.

Oikawa Tooru knows he's pretty.

He knows because he's been told so his entire life; for eighteen years he's heard nothing but “You have such a charming smile,” “Your eyes are stunning,” and “How does your hair always stay perfectly styled all day?” He’s accepted it, the fact he's beautiful, just like anyone who'd been told their whole life that they're hideous would have the ingrained belief that they're ugly. You learn what people say to you, and Tooru has always been told he's gorgeous.

Another thing Tooru has learned is that he's popular with girls. Everywhere he goes, he can feel the stares, hear the whispers pointed his direction, sense their eyes looking him over. It made him uncomfortable once upon a time, but now it's almost background noise; nothing consequential to him, and certainly not worth acknowledging unless he can somehow use it to his advantage. He's accepted it, in his own way, and chooses to embrace it simply because there isn't much else to be done. All in all, Oikawa Tooru is very self-aware, and he takes pride in that fact (though not all of his traits are deserving of his pride).

Iwaizumi Hajime is, in short, the opposite of Tooru. He lacks the milky skin that Tooru’s been blessed with, the hair that listens to any products Tooru decides to subject it to, the tall stature that keeps Tooru lean without much effort. Hajime isn't pretty, he isn't popular with girls, and he certainly isn't as confident as his best friend of twelve years. But for all that he isn't, Iwaizumi Hajime is so much more than Tooru could ever hope to be.

He's the feeling you get when it's the first week of summer; all smiles and sunshine and endless possibilities. His tan skin may be flawed, covered in scars and freckles and all sorts of minor imperfections, but they tell a story; he's an open book. He may not be incredibly tall, but he's stable, the rock that keeps you steady even when you think your foundation is crumbling in on itself. He's not good with girls, but every man who's ever met him admires him. He's not especially talented in volleyball, he's not devoted wholeheartedly to it; he has a natural talent for anything physical, and could join any team he wanted if he ever decided volleyball wasn't for him.

Tooru can't understand why no one tells Hajime he's beautiful; for all Tooru knows about girls, his fellow boys are an enigma to him. In the hallways, on the court, even out in public, Hajime is showered with an ongoing chorus of “Yo Iwaizumi, what's up?” and “Hey man you look good!” which Tooru has never been graced with. While Tooru is busy flirting with girls, Hajime is catching up with guys he's only seen once yet somehow still made an impression on. Tooru, for his part, tries; but any time he smiles at one of Hajime’s acquaintances or flashes them a peace sign, all it earns him is an annoyed roll of the eyes and a murmur about “Iwaizumi’s weird, pretty friend.”

And it's true, he must seem strange to them; he's never been overly “manly” in any sense of the word. He likes volleyball, but not sports in general; he can't stand bugs, or going a day without fixing his hair, and he spends more effort in choosing how to accessorise his uniform for the day than Hajime would spend on a week’s worth of outfits. He can't relate to Hajime’s admirers, except for their mutual love of Hajime and all he stands for.

Tooru may be beautiful, and Hajime may not be; but Hajime is handsome, and he's respected. In general, he's rough around the edges, but that's what attracts people to him. He's real; a constellation of flaws that add up to a beautiful galaxy that only Iwaizumi Hajime is large enough to contain. He's genuine, and he's not afraid to be; he's modest, but not self-depreciating. He's everything Tooru wishes he was.

Tooru is nothing like Hajime - he's all smooth edges and pretty words and knowing glances; Hajime is encouraging smiles and firm handshakes and the feeling of coming home. He's the glow off the pavement after the rain, the buzz you feel when you're excited for something good to happen, the extraordinary within the mundane.

He's complex; surprising in ways no one expects him to be, yet somehow remaining a steady foundation that can always be depended on. His many facets are what make him so enticing; Tooru may look the part, but Hajime is the true masterpiece.


End file.
